Carney Park / Cold Harbor Trail

Carney Park / Cold Harbor Trail

Easy

60%

Moderate

20%

Difficult

10%

Description

Cold Harbor, I would say is a great beginner trail, with some intermediate. There are some gentle climbs and obvious trail tracks with a few bridges and a couple of rock wall areas that can easily be skirted if you're a beginner. When you get through the trail to Cherry St, if you're coming from the West Main St side where the parking is (it's a gravel lot at the end of a short street right by the fence, if you're seeing Michaels Spa, you've gone just a bit too far), you turn right at Cherry St, the sign on the road has worn off and the map looks like you go straight over, but you follow the bend of the road for a few yards and it intersects West St and then can see where you cross the road to carry on the trail.

It ends on Church St, beside a house. There's a trail sign, but hard to spot from the road and no parking on that end. You can cycle down the back road to get back to the parking if pushed for time, it's about a mile or so away (go right on Church St, then right on West St and left on Crawford St and ride it till you get to West Main St. An alternate flatter route is right on Church, right on Pleasant St, right onto Lincoln St and you come out onto Rt. 20 by the lights around the corner). The other trail just past this one, enters just past the church but there isn't any parking and it's a short loop up and around a hill that's not terribly technical but it is very hard work.

The far end of the trail on the other side of West St is the Beaver Trail, and features the infamous floating bridge, which is totally unrideable, sketchy to walk across, and completely fascinating.

By Richard Brown

NOTE: The Northborough Trails system is mountain bike friendly with the exception of Cedar Hills and Sawink Farm. Please do not ride those trails. Trail maps and trail head locations can be accessed at the following url: www.Northboroughtrails.org. The trails are all similar in terms of terrain and are all good for novice to intermediate riders, with the exception of Mt. Pisgah.